Phipps Plaza in Buckhead is about to grow again with the addition of a luxury Nobu Hotel and restaurant, office tower and fitness center.

The hotel will have 150 rooms, a rooftop pool, corporate conference space and spa facilities. Nobu Atlanta restaurant, known for its new style Japanese cuisine, will open in a 10,000 square foot space. The new development will also feature a 90,000 square-foot Life Time fitness center, a 12-story office tower and more restaurants to be announced in the future.

The expansion will take place at the north end of the mall, which means that Belk department store will have to close next summer. Phipps Plaza will remain open through the construction process, which will continue until 2020.

Trevor Horwell, Chief Executive Officer of Nobu Hotels said in a press release, “We are very proud of our partnership with Simon, one of the world’s largest and leading owners and managers of high-quality retail destinations. They have a vision to create a dynamic lifestyle experience within Atlanta at Phipps Plaza and we are pleased to be a cornerstone for this. Our hospitality brand thrives on being a catalyst for global mixed-use destinations whether this be from hotel, restaurant, retail or residences.”

A rendering of the new office building at Phipps Plaza. (Courtesy Simon)

It’s a pity there couldn’t be a lovely legitimate theatre amidst all that opulence. New York City gives a nice tax break (at least they used to) to new buildings in Times Square that also house a Broadway theatre. JFK said, “The life of the arts…is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose–and is a test of the quality of a nation’s civilization.” (Oct. 26, 1963)